Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-08-18
WHO WRECKED THAT RAILROAD FIRST

i
Chicago Tyi5aae, August l3.-The Toledo,
Peoria and Western railroad is a corporation
which it has defaulted time and again. In May,
1850, it was leased for forty-nine and one-half
years to the Wabash, with interest guaranteed
on its first mortgage and certain income bonds
but after being " milked " and depleted by the
Wabash wreckers it was in 1884 thrown back
on the trustees of the first mortgage. The time
had come when it could no longer be used to
promote the gigantic Wabash swindle, and it
was dropped ike squeezed orange.
The grand scheme of the Wall street ring
had been aecomplished-a number of jerkwater
| lines bonded beyond their value had been con-
sslidated into the Wabash system, on which
tens of millions of bonds were issued, the man.
ipulators of the scheme walking off with $751;
100000 in plunder after paying few bogus
dividends in order to unload the fraudulent Sc
curities on confding investors. The Toledo
Peoria and Western played an important part
| in the transsctiOn-it was competitor of the
| ration was esteemed matter of consequence.
Paying traffic was diverted from it to the Wa
bash proper, while it was used to haul back the
empty cars of the Wall street robbers. Mean
while the plant was neglected and the roadbed
permitted to go to seed.
The circumstances attending this appalling
disaster on this wrecked railroad afford some
startling facts for the consideration of the pub
lie. The bankrupted corporation was living on
its principal walking on its uppers." In its
hungry hunt for business it adopted the policy
of cheap excursions. 1t advertised a rate OF
81 80 from Central Illinois to Niagara Falls
| and return, and then in order to economic on
expenses made up train consisting of eleven
passenger coaches, six sleeping cars, three
chair chairs, one baggage car, one pay car and
two engines, and sent this duuble-size, heavily
| loaded Excursion " laundering over its inse-
cure tracks and wooden bridges.
On any frst-class line with iron bridges and
perfect road-bed such a train would have been
divided into sections so as to throw a less con-
tinuous strain on bridges, culverts, &c. Yet
this road, with a track and bridges better suit
ed to its favorite work of hauling back empty
| freight cars for the Wabash than for passenger
business, made up the longest and heaviest
| train possible in order to indulge a ruinous
economy, Even without any unusual dangers
| from fire or storm great chances were token in
| sending out such train, but it was known that
prairie fires we're raging along the line within
easy reach of the wooden bridges of the road,
and vet the bridge near Chatsworth had not
been inspected for ten hours before the appear
ance of the ill-fated train nor does it positive
ly appear that any train had been over it for
that period.
ECONOMY" seems to have governed the
system of track inspection as well as of making
up and dispatching trains. Inferior rolling
stock, wooden bridges, an unsafe road-bed, in
sufficient track inspection, fast time and cheap
fares were the inducements for travel on this
line, although only one of the facilities men,
toned was advertised to the public Admit
ting knowledge of the prairie fires and stating
that the last inspection of the Chatsworth
bridge was shortly after O'Clock in the after
noon of the day before the awful wreck, Presi-
dent Leonard has the hardihood to say that
90 the accident can only be ascrIbed to one of
those inscrutable acts of Providence which it
seems impossible to guard against"
The facts so far revealed seem to demonstrate
that the railroad managers are responsible for
the awful destruction of human life near Chats
worth. Unlike other recent railroad horrors,
this appears to have been an instance where
the calamity could have been averted by a
sound and prudent management and the exer-
else of reasonable care. The whole matter
should be judicially investigated to the bottom,
with view to the rigorous punishment of any
and all persons who may be proved criminally
responsible for this horrible disaster. Negli
gence such as all the accounts suggest in this
instance is criminal and homicidal.
But while the persons in immediate charge
ofA Al L I i Al 80
bilty under the law, what shall be said of the
Wabash wreckers who completed the bank
ruptcy of the corporation and left its finances
in ruins? They are the real culprits in this
case. Upon their heads ultimately must rest
the moral responsibility for the appalling loss
of life. The road which they robbed and left
poverty stricken and gasping for life was in no
condition to discharge its functions properly,
and it failed the public at the critical moment,
just as paupers die for want of nourishing food
and proper medical attention.